Local

Yelp recognizes local restaurant during Latinx Heritage Month

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — 1928 Cuban Bistro is bringing a taste of Latin culture to Jacksonville.

“Croquetas, guava pastries, and actually a lot of our seasoning is old school,” described Rebecca Gonzalez, who goes by the nickname Becky.

Gonzalez cooked up the idea for this restaurant when she moved from Miami seven years ago, and as a way of honoring her heritage (1928 is the year Gonzalez’s grandfather was born, which inspired the name).

“I was missing my food, my culture,” she recalled. And now, it’s available for everyone to enjoy.

“[The food] actually is fresh and delicious,” said one customer, Meisha Dubois, as she picked up her order of pastries. She also told Action News Jax she grew up in South Florida. “It’s super authentic. It just kinda brings back memories from when I was younger and my childhood.”

The 1928 Cuban Bistro location in Baymeadows opened in 2019, and it’s now one of three in town. This success is gaining national recognition from Yelp.

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Yelp partnered with Latina singer, actress and entrepreneur Christina Milian to name 1928 Cuban Bistro one of 15 Latinx-owned businesses to watch this year. Milian also owns LA-based sweet treat brand Beignet Box, which brings the traditional New Orleans pastry to California.

“It is an incredible, incredible honor,” Gonzalez said, remembering the moment she found out she was on the list. “Thank you Christina for checking us out, and believing in us!”

Gonzalez explained her family knows what it’s like to build from the ground up.

“My parents are Cuban. They’re Cuban exiles,” Gonzalez shared. “They came in ‘61, and they meant the world to me,” she added.

“They passed away a few years ago but they were very hardworking. They came from Cuba from nothing and started over.”

And now, Gonzalez is paying it forward to help others.

“1928 was able to help women and Latin women, mostly, [to] grow,” she shared.

Women like Andrea Cruz, who left Puerto Rico two years ago, and initially moved to Jacksonville, North Carolina before ending up in Jacksonville, Florida. Cruz described being timid, and not comfortable with her English-speaking abilities. But that all changed when she started working behind the scenes at 1928 Cuban Bistro. She says she became more confident learning and speaking English and a year and a half later, she is now the district manager. She helps oversee all three locations and their employees.

“Becky always said, ‘Trust in me!’ and was like, ‘You can do it, you can do it!’” Cruz described. “For me, it was an inspiration because it was like if she can do it then everybody can do it.”

Gonzalez is proving this is the recipe for success, with two more locations on the way.

“I’m happy,” Gonzalez pointed out. “I’m excited for what the future holds.”


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